sending...The Florentine community is located in south Tel-Aviv. The neighborhood is bounded by Jaffa Road in the north, Ha’aliya Street in the east, Salame Road in the south, and Elifelet Street in the west. The neighborhood was established in 1927 as an urban area that combined trade, handicrafts, and small industry. In the 1970s, the quality of living in the neighborhood deteriorated, partially due to the neglect and low-quality of building construction and to a severe lack of social services. In the 1980s and ’90s, the Tel Aviv municipality began a program of urban renewal in the neighborhood, which brought about an accelerated gentrification process in the area, and made the survival of veteran residents’ nearly impossible.
Alongside soaring rents and new demographic tensions, residents also face the dwindling of critical social services offered to families and children. Nowadays, the Florentine neighborhood suffers from a lack of infrastructure for families and women: there is only one day care center, no local pediatrician, and only one kindergarten, which is not big enough for all of the resident children. The elementary school was also closed and made into an art center. The only public green space is not suitable for kids and is populated mainly by dogs.
Following a arduous campaign for a community space undertaken by Mahapach-Taghir and residents; the municipality has allowed the use of two rooms in the former elementary School of Druyanov. The “Florentine Community Center,” the only public building in the neighborhood, operates with the support of residents, Mahapach-Taghir, and the Municipality’s community, youth and sports department.
The Center in Florentine operates several complementary activities:
- The Learning Community – open four days a week, afternoon to evening for children from K-9th grade. The Learning Community pairs Academic Students with local children who participate in individual, personalized tutoring, educational support, social and enrichment group activities.
- Activities for Youth, designed to keep youth off the streets in the evening, and provide positive interaction outside school hours. academic students help youth prepare for the Bagrut (matriculation) exams and work to reduce the growing drop-out rate. There is also a weekly soccer club for boys.
- Infant Play Center for Preschoolers – open three days a week for children ages 0-5 and their parents. The Play Center is a place where parents can spend quality time with their children and other parents and receive support, guidance, and advice. The center is operated by volunteer students and parents.
- The Communal Garden is overseen by neighborhood volunteers, and grows organic crops. Adults and children work together in this learning Garden, which also operates as an local center for environmental education. Workdays at the garden are every Friday at noon.
Communal activities, events and campaigns are planned and organized in conjunction with lthe local communal Steering Committee; and the preschool-education team, who are involved in all Learning Community initiatives and advocate for the improvement of educational services in the neighborhood.
To learn more and get involved, contact Shira, the Florentine Community Coordinator – 054-7608124, florentine@mahapach-taghir.org